Sporting Kansas City was eliminated from MLS Cup contention after losing to Houston 2-1 aggreagate over the span of two games. They finished the year as US Open Cup Champions and a Kansas City team record of 63 points.

Kansas City to host 2012 MLS SuperDraft January 12
ESPN2 to broadcast first round, starting at Noon ET (11 a.m. CT)
NEW YORK (October 21, 2011) – Major League Soccer today announced details for the 2012 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.

For the eighth consecutive year, the MLS SuperDraft will be held in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention, and take place on Thursday, January 12, at the Kansas City Convention Center, in Kansas City, Mo. The first round of the SuperDraft will be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 11:00 AM CT/12:00 noon ET.

This year, the MLS SuperDraft will include two rounds and 38 overall selections, with the Montreal Impact selecting first overall. The next eight selections are currently held by clubs that did not qualify for the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs, in reverse order of regular season finish. The remaining 10 positions currently belong to clubs that were eliminated in the same round of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs, in reverse order of regular season finish.

A four-round Supplemental Draft will take place via conference call on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

The 2012 adidas MLS Player Combine will again be held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., prior to the SuperDraft.
Matches will not be open to the public, so media seeking additional details on the location and time, as well as credentials, should contact Lauren.Brophy@MLSsoccer.com.

Coaches and technical staffs from all 19 MLS clubs, including 2012 expansion side Montreal Impact, will be in attendance to scout the top talent at the 17th annual player combine. The list of participating players, as determined by a select panel of college coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches and technical staffs, will be announced in December.

Been really busy, but wanted to comment on the U-17 friendlies. Our youngins looked REALLY good. They like passing. They were beating people with ball movement and not just speed and 1v1 moves. THAT is what I like to see. They knew how to link up play.

The future looks bright.

Although I can't say I was particularly impressed with the 2nd half vs. Brazil. Brazil missed a TON of chances and played really well for the first 30 minutes of the second half. Then they got frustrated that they were losing and started losing their cool.

BRAVO SAGA TAKES TWIST: ESPN Deportes' Jorge Ramos is reporting that Sporting Kansas City designated player Omar Bravo will not play any more for the club due to "problems with the head coach." Ramos suggests teams in Mexico, including Club America, are interested.

It looks like it was pulled off the ESPN Deportes twitter since then, though. Not sure if it was incorrect info or posted before it was supposed to have been.

Bravo wasn't the stud we had hoped he'd be coming in, but he's still a very, very good player. And was an integral part of this team. Without him, we don't turn that season around the way we did.

Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has agreed to terms that allow Omar Bravo to return to his native Mexico to join Cruz Azul for the upcoming 2012 season. The 31-year-old returns to the Primera División, where he previously played professionally for 10 seasons. Per club and League policy, terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

“We want to thank Omar (Bravo) for his time with Sporting Kansas City on and off the field,” Manager Peter Vermes said. “His competitive nature and savviness played a big part in our first season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. We wish him nothing but success in his new ventures.”

The move will make available an international roster spot and Designated Player spot on the Sporting Kansas City roster.

“I want to thank Peter (Vermes), the Sporting Kansas City ownership, and MLS for a great opportunity and experience during the memorable 2011 season,” Bravo said. “For personal reasons, I am returning to the Primera División but I do not want to rule out a return to Sporting KC and MLS.

“The quality of play in MLS is high and rapidly rising so I feel well prepared for my new challenge. I look forward to following Sporting KC’s continued success and to continuing my promotion of LIVESTRONG and MLS.”

Bravo signed with Sporting Kansas City in August 2010 as a Designated Player, the second of three acquired by Sporting KC in club history, and was subsequently loaned back to Club Deportivo Guadalajara where he ranks as the club’s second all-time leading scorer and stayed for the remainder of the Apertura season. Upon arriving in Major League Soccer in 2011, the former Mexican National Team member scored twice on his debut at Chivas USA, but was forced to miss six weeks of action in April and May after undergoing sports hernia surgery.

In 27 regular season appearances, Bravo recorded nine goals and two assists and was named a 2011 MLS All-Star by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Sporting Kansas City finished in first place in the Eastern Conference in 2011, but Bravo missed both legs of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and was limited to five minutes in the Eastern Conference Championship due to a groin injury.

Bravo, now with his fifth team in the past three years, will continue his participation as a LIVESTRONG Global Envoy to help the foundation spread its message of awareness and survivorship to the Hispanic/Latino community in the U.S. and Mexico, a cause he first committed to in June 2011.